China mandates indoor and outdoor masks in updated Covid-19 rules
- Revised guidelines require people to cover up in crowded venues as cases continue to rise in latest outbreak
- National Health Commission says the public has become less aware of prevention measures as the pandemic drags on
Chinese health officials have said the spread of the coronavirus can be controlled as the country revised its guidelines for mask wearing in crowded venues, including outdoor areas, to battle the latest wave of Covid-19.
The country reported 47 local infections in five provinces on Friday, along with five asymptomatic cases, the lowest domestic case tally in two weeks.
“The Covid-19 risk in the country is overall controllable and it is rather unlikely that a large-scale outbreak on a national level will occur,” He Qinghua, a senior official with the National Health Commission, told a press conference in Beijing on Friday.
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He said 48 Chinese cities had reported a total of nearly 1,300 cases as of Thursday in the ongoing outbreak. But 36 of them had found no new patients in more than five days. Most cities had only reported “sporadic cases”, with the exception of Wuhan, the tourist city Zhangjiajie, and latest hotspot Yangzhou, he added.
The reassurance came after the National Health Commission said on Friday the public had become less aware of Covid-19 prevention as the pandemic dragged on, with some thinking masks were unnecessary after vaccination.
People are required to wear masks in indoor venues like malls, cinemas and public transport, as well as crowded outdoor places such as open squares, theatres and parks, according to the updated guidelines.
Workers who handle imported goods and overseas transport must wear particulate filtering masks, while surgical masks are required in medical facilities and public areas.